


A Tail of Two Kitties

by Tempcard



Category: SHINee
Genre: Choose Your Own Adventure, M/M, kitty boys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-17
Updated: 2021-03-17
Packaged: 2021-03-25 17:27:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 15,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30092586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tempcard/pseuds/Tempcard
Summary: Join kitty boys Taemin and Minho as they figure out how to spend their afternoon waiting for the return of their owners Jonghyun and Kibum. Help them make the most of their Saturday!
Relationships: Choi Minho/Kim Kibum | Key, Kim Jonghyun/Lee Taemin
Kudos: 6





	1. The Story

**Author's Note:**

> So this is an experiment in a choose-your-own-adventure type setting! I used Twine to create a story of our lovely kitty boys spending an afternoon getting into maybe mischief, maybe rewards. For accessibility reasons, I'll also be posting each of the 16 possible endings as a separate chapter, but if you read them all together, it might be somewhat repetitive!

[Here](http://media.textadventures.co.uk/games/Rn1-fbyFm0_MeumPDxDKEw/A%20Tail%20of%20Two%20Kitties%20Completed.html) is the link to the story, if you'd like to play it as a choose-your-own-adventure game!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew, it's finally done! Who doesn't love kitty boys, right? I'd love to hear which route you ended up taking first! Please comment and let me know~~It'll make all the hard work (and 7.7k words) pay off~~


	2. Minho--Good Boy

It’s a lazy Saturday afternoon, the sun just barely peeking over the clouds from an overcast morning spent lazing around in the living room. You’re warm and cozy where you are, but the sun insistently seems to follow you as you toss and turn. A little bit annoyed, you end up snapping your eyes awake and twitching your ears as you stretch one way first, and then the other. 

Now that you’re awake, you feel too hot under the blankets and you kick them off. Glancing around you, the living room is empty--your owners Kibum and Jonghyun are off going grocery shopping for the week, leaving you and your best friend and fellow kitty boy home alone for the time being. 

Kitty boys are notoriously mischievous unsupervised. Still:

You, Minho, are a very good and obedient kitty boy

You’re a tall and thin kitty boy, with black tufted ears and a slender tail. You enjoy exercise, and in fact, have a hard time sleeping unless your owner Kibum plays with you and tires you out before bedtime. Tonight, you’re excited about the soccer game between your favorite team and their rival club--even though it makes Kibum roll his eyes and complain fondly at you, you know he’s a softy at heart, and he’s happy when you’re happy. And nothing quite makes you as happy as sitting attentively, eyes glued to the screen, when your favorite striker scores a goal.

Well, maybe when you score the goal yourself in your friendly match with the other hybrids. Or when Kibum buys you a new jersey and holds a photoshoot for Instagram. Or when he calls you a good boy with that proud smile, and--you blush. Maybe a lot of things make you happy--you’re an easy cat to please.

In the meantime, though, you have to entertain yourself. You decide to:

Play with your toys

You have a variety of toys to choose from--you tend to be somewhat rough on your toys, you reflect sheepishly, recalling all the times you clawed the stuffing out of a toy mouse or gnawed a rubber fish to pieces. Good thing Kibum loves lavishing you with the latest toys and treats, otherwise you’d have nothing but tatters left to play with.

Glancing around, you see that Taemin is nowhere to be seen--probably curled up on Jonghyun’s bed, lazily playing on his phone. Without his presence as a distraction, you gear up for a good play session. You have your millionth iteration of your favorite soccer ball plushy (Kibum has it on auto-order every couple of months), and you have a colorful string poking out of the toy basket. You decide on:

The soccer ball plushie

You *love* your soccer ball! You love it so much, in fact, that this is the millionth iteration in a series of plushie soccer balls. They all are the same--blue-and-white-patterned, baggy and misshapen with use. This one in particular, you note mournfully, has already got a tear from when your claw snagged on it the other day, and a dark spot from when you drooled on it while hugging it to your chest during a nap. 

While playing with the soccer ball, you lay on your back and fling it up into the air, catching it with one hand and bouncing it to the other. You’re having so much fun, you decide to lob it way overhead and--Crash!! You startle up and away from the loud noise. 

Peeking around the couch, you see that your soccer ball has landed on the mirror in the hallway, leaving a large crack and a few shards on the floor. You:

Know that Kibum wouldn’t want you to go near it. Stay put and warn Taemin not to come down the hallway

Lamenting your misfortune, especially on the night of a soccer game, you sit on your hind legs after calling out to Taemin not to come down. Your ears droop as he cackles that you’re in trouble with Kibum. 

Luckily, you don’t have to wallow in your regret for long. Within 10 minutes, you hear the key in the lock and the muffled chatter of Jonghyun and Kibum. As they come in carrying grocery bags, you rush up to stop them in the foyer. 

“Don’t come any closer!” you shout, waving your arms in front of their confused faces. As you look behind you to explain, the forlorn sight of your poor soccer ball plushy in the middle of broken glass makes you tear up. You swallow roughly.

“Kitten, are you alright?” Kibum’s voice is hurried, concerned. Jonghyun peeks worredly over his produce. “You’re not hurt, are you?”

You bury your face in Kibum’s chest. “I’m ok,” you assure him, still sniffling. “I was playing with my soccer ball and I broke the mirror and there’s glass everywhere and I don’t want anyone stepping on it.”

Kibum looks past you to the scene, sighing heavily. “Oh, Minho,” he groans, “that was an antique.” Noticing your droopy ears, he pats your head. “Good boy for not trying to clean it up, though. I don’t want you hurting your paws.”

Voice still muffled from burying your face in his chest, you add that you told Taemin to be careful too.

“Good boy,” Kibum praises again. He hefts the grocery bags down. “I’ll go clean it up, and then we’ll see about getting you a reward for being a good kitty, alright?”

And all of the sudden, the day is bright and cheerful again! You’re Minho the good kitty boy, after all!

End


	3. Minho--Bad Boy

It’s a lazy Saturday afternoon, the sun just barely peeking over the clouds from an overcast morning spent lazing around in the living room. You’re warm and cozy where you are, but the sun insistently seems to follow you as you toss and turn. A little bit annoyed, you end up snapping your eyes awake and twitching your ears as you stretch one way first, and then the other. 

Now that you’re awake, you feel too hot under the blankets and you kick them off. Glancing around you, the living room is empty--your owners Kibum and Jonghyun are off going grocery shopping for the week, leaving you and your best friend and fellow kitty boy home alone for the time being. 

Kitty boys are notoriously mischievous unsupervised. Still, 

You, Minho, are a very good and obedient kitty boy

You’re a tall and thin kitty boy, with black tufted ears and a slender tail. You enjoy exercise, and in fact, have a hard time sleeping unless your owner Kibum plays with you and tires you out before bedtime. Tonight, you’re excited about the soccer game between your favorite team and their rival club--even though it makes Kibum roll his eyes and complain fondly at you, you know he’s a softy at heart, and he’s happy when you’re happy. And nothing quite makes you as happy as sitting attentively, eyes glued to the screen, when your favorite striker scores a goal.

Well, maybe when you score the goal yourself in your friendly match with the other hybrids. Or when Kibum buys you a new jersey and holds a photoshoot for Instagram. Or when he calls you a good boy with that proud smile, and--you blush. Maybe a lot of things make you happy--you’re an easy cat to please.

In the meantime, though, you have to entertain yourself. You decide to

Play with your toys

You have a variety of toys to choose from--you tend to be somewhat rough on your toys, you reflect sheepishly, recalling all the times you clawed the stuffing out of a toy mouse or gnawed a rubber fish to pieces. Good thing Kibum loves lavishing you with the latest toys and treats, otherwise you’d have nothing but tatters left to play with.

Glancing around, you see that Taemin is nowhere to be seen--probably curled up on Jonghyun’s bed, lazily playing on his phone. Without his presence as a distraction, you gear up for a good play session. You have your millionth iteration of your favorite soccer ball plushy (Kibum has it on auto-order every couple of months), and you have a colorful string poking out of the toy basket. You decide on:

The soccer ball plushie

You *love* your soccer ball! You love it so much, in fact, that this is the millionth iteration in a series of plushie soccer balls. They all are the same--blue-and-white-patterned, baggy and misshapen with use. This one in particular, you note mournfully, has already got a tear from when your claw snagged on it the other day, and a dark spot from when you drooled on it while hugging it to your chest during a nap. 

While playing with the soccer ball, you lay on your back and fling it up into the air, catching it with one hand and bouncing it to the other. You’re having so much fun, you decide to lob it way overhead and--Crash!! You startle up and away from the loud noise. 

Peeking around the couch, you see that your soccer ball has landed on the mirror in the hallway, leaving a large crack and a few shards on the floor. You:

Don’t want to get in trouble! How can you clean this up without anyone noticing…

Whimpering softly to yourself, you wonder how you’re going to fix this mess. Maybe if you rearrange the large, standing vase it will cover the crack? But first you have to clean up the glass…

Delicately plucking your soccer ball plushie out of the center of the shards, you inspect it for any pieces of glass. Not finding any, you carefully toss it in the direction of the couch. Next, you quickly glance down the hall toward Jonghyun’s room--if Taemin wakes up and sees this, you’re screwed! That tattletale. 

Luckily, Taemin seems unbothered by the noise of you clumsily handling a broom and dustpan with your paws, and then pushing the vase to carefully cover the crack. You’ve done a pretty good job, you think, before a sharp pain laces through your foot.

Glancing down, you see a spot of red, and that’s enough to send you scrambling backward--right into the vase. It tips over, spilling water and flower stems everywhere, and further shattering the mirror. Your foot is starting to throb with pain, and you’re too afraid to look at it. Overwhelmed, soggy, and in pain, you start to cry a little to yourself, and it’s that exact moment when the door swings open.

“Minho!” Jonghyun gasps out, stumbling to the side as Kibum shoves past him, panic in his eyes. 

“Oh Minho baby, what’s wrong? Are you hurt?” Kibum rushes over and does a quick inspection. 

“I have some glass in my foot,” you sob, “It hurts, Kibummie.”

“Oh my poor kitty,” Kibum comforts you. Jonghyun offers to get the tweezers and medical tape, grimacing at the way you flinch and your tail puffs up at “tweezers.”

“It’s for your own good, sweetheart, to make sure there’s no glass in you,” Kibum is still consoling you. After your foot is examined and bandaged by Kibum’s careful hands, he turns to you and asks what happened.

Ears drooping, you confess to your crimes. “Oh, Minho, you silly cat,” Kibum sighs. “Next time, wait until I come home to take care of the mess, alright? I’m not mad at you for breaking the mirror. That was an accident.”

“You’re not mad?” you look up at Kibum with wide eyes.

“Not about the mirror, baby.” Kibum ruffles your hair. “But I am a little bit upset you tried to cover it up. Next time, just be honest, ok?”

You mumble your assent.

“You understand I have to punish you, right? I’m not going to let you watch tonight’s soccer game live. And no soccer for a week while your foot heals.”

Your tail puffs up again. No soccer for a week? No championship game tonight? But you were a naughty kitty, Kibum is right. So you stay silent even as your lip wobbles.

Kibum looks left, right, anywhere but your quivering face. Eventually he sighs, and adds, “I’ll record the game tonight, though.” 

Hooray! You bump your head into his hand, purring your happiness. It’ll be fine after all.

End


	4. Minho--Tricked

It’s a lazy Saturday afternoon, the sun just barely peeking over the clouds from an overcast morning spent lazing around in the living room. You’re warm and cozy where you are, but the sun insistently seems to follow you as you toss and turn. A little bit annoyed, you end up snapping your eyes awake and twitching your ears as you stretch one way first, and then the other. 

Now that you’re awake, you feel too hot under the blankets and you kick them off. Glancing around you, the living room is empty--your owners Kibum and Jonghyun are off going grocery shopping for the week, leaving you and your best friend and fellow kitty boy home alone for the time being. 

Kitty boys are notoriously mischievous unsupervised. Still, 

You, Minho, are a very good and obedient kitty boy

You’re a tall and thin kitty boy, with black tufted ears and a slender tail. You enjoy exercise, and in fact, have a hard time sleeping unless your owner Kibum plays with you and tires you out before bedtime. Tonight, you’re excited about the soccer game between your favorite team and their rival club--even though it makes Kibum roll his eyes and complain fondly at you, you know he’s a softy at heart, and he’s happy when you’re happy. And nothing quite makes you as happy as sitting attentively, eyes glued to the screen, when your favorite striker scores a goal.

Well, maybe when you score the goal yourself in your friendly match with the other hybrids. Or when Kibum buys you a new jersey and holds a photoshoot for Instagram. Or when he calls you a good boy with that proud smile, and--you blush. Maybe a lot of things make you happy--you’re an easy cat to please.

In the meantime, though, you have to entertain yourself. You decide to

Play with your toys

You have a variety of toys to choose from--you tend to be somewhat rough on your toys, you reflect sheepishly, recalling all the times you clawed the stuffing out of a toy mouse or gnawed a rubber fish to pieces. Good thing Kibum loves lavishing you with the latest toys and treats, otherwise you’d have nothing but tatters left to play with.

Glancing around, you see that Taemin is nowhere to be seen--probably curled up on Jonghyun’s bed, lazily playing on his phone. Without his presence as a distraction, you gear up for a good play session. You have your millionth iteration of your favorite soccer ball plushy (Kibum has it on auto-order every couple of months), and you have a colorful string poking out of the toy basket. You decide on:

The string

The string is so fun! Logically, you know it’s just a string. But when you tug on one end, the other slithers like a snake! And instinct calls you to pounce on the string, to chew it in your mouth, to throw it into the air and roll as you kick it with your feet…

Before you know it, the long shadows of late afternoon are starting to creep across the living room floor. You’ve worked up a good sweat by now, and stretch, arching your back into the typical cat position. You lay on your back, endorphins flowing through your brain and putting a smile on your face.

You’re so lucky to be a kitty boy with a good, safe home with lots of toys and food and loving owners. It wasn’t always like this for you and Taemin--you scrunch up your nose thinking of the stresses of working service jobs in a society that looked down on hybrids like yourselves, and how the two of you always longed for someone to take care of the two of you. And that leads to memories of how Kibum wandered into your cafe and charmed you and praised you and---

Face flushed, you turn back to the string, rabbit-kicking it a few times to release some emotion. Anyway, you’re grateful for Kibum and Jonghyun. Looking at the sun hanging low in the sky, you decide to:

Keep playing with the string

You’re nothing if not a determined kitty boy! Your tail shifts behind you as you stare the string down, waiting for it to make a move. You kind of know it’s not going to move, but you have to be sure. You narrow your eyes at it, thinking ahead to how you’re going to pounce on it first, then fling it up, and then maybe gnaw a little and--

Smack! A soft paw pad hits your behind and your heart nearly jumps out of your throat. Without turning to look, instinct demands that you scramble up the perch that Jonghyun built for you two to look over the living room. Once you are safe up there, you turn with wild eyes and racing adrenaline to see--Taemin, doubled over, cackling. That brat. 

You narrow your eyes and hiss at him, ears flat against your head. He pays your posturing no mind, slowly blinking at you in amusement, still softly giggling. You roll your eyes at his antics, and shift to turn your tail toward him, facing the loft that Jonghyun built. It’s nicely accented with string lights, a cozy throw pillow and rug combo, and even an expensive scratching post that Kibum ordered from abroad. 

All in all, you figure, it’s not such a bad place to end up. Neatly tucking your tail by your side, you cuddle up on the rug, nuzzling the pillow. As you drift off to sleep again, your lips turn up at the thought of splashing Taemin with water, tricking him into admitting he stole Kibum’s custom leggings to add to his secret hoard, etc…

End


	5. Minho--Cuddles

It’s a lazy Saturday afternoon, the sun just barely peeking over the clouds from an overcast morning spent lazing around in the living room. You’re warm and cozy where you are, but the sun insistently seems to follow you as you toss and turn. A little bit annoyed, you end up snapping your eyes awake and twitching your ears as you stretch one way first, and then the other. 

Now that you’re awake, you feel too hot under the blankets and you kick them off. Glancing around you, the living room is empty--your owners Kibum and Jonghyun are off going grocery shopping for the week, leaving you and your best friend and fellow kitty boy home alone for the time being. 

Kitty boys are notoriously mischievous unsupervised. Still, 

You, Minho, are a very good and obedient kitty boy

You’re a tall and thin kitty boy, with black tufted ears and a slender tail. You enjoy exercise, and in fact, have a hard time sleeping unless your owner Kibum plays with you and tires you out before bedtime. Tonight, you’re excited about the soccer game between your favorite team and their rival club--even though it makes Kibum roll his eyes and complain fondly at you, you know he’s a softy at heart, and he’s happy when you’re happy. And nothing quite makes you as happy as sitting attentively, eyes glued to the screen, when your favorite striker scores a goal.

Well, maybe when you score the goal yourself in your friendly match with the other hybrids. Or when Kibum buys you a new jersey and holds a photoshoot for Instagram. Or when he calls you a good boy with that proud smile, and--you blush. Maybe a lot of things make you happy--you’re an easy cat to please.

In the meantime, though, you have to entertain yourself. You decide to

Play with your toys

You have a variety of toys to choose from--you tend to be somewhat rough on your toys, you reflect sheepishly, recalling all the times you clawed the stuffing out of a toy mouse or gnawed a rubber fish to pieces. Good thing Kibum loves lavishing you with the latest toys and treats, otherwise you’d have nothing but tatters left to play with.

Glancing around, you see that Taemin is nowhere to be seen--probably curled up on Jonghyun’s bed, lazily playing on his phone. Without his presence as a distraction, you gear up for a good play session. You have your millionth iteration of your favorite soccer ball plushy (Kibum has it on auto-order every couple of months), and you have a colorful string poking out of the toy basket. You decide on:

The string

The string is so fun! Logically, you know it’s just a string. But when you tug on one end, the other slithers like a snake! And instinct calls you to pounce on the string, to chew it in your mouth, to throw it into the air and roll as you kick it with your feet…

Before you know it, the long shadows of late afternoon are starting to creep across the living room floor. You’ve worked up a good sweat by now, and stretch, arching your back into the typical cat position. You lay on your back, endorphins flowing through your brain and putting a smile on your face.

You’re so lucky to be a kitty boy with a good, safe home with lots of toys and food and loving owners. It wasn’t always like this for you and Taemin--you scrunch up your nose thinking of the stresses of working service jobs in a society that looked down on hybrids like yourselves, and how the two of you always longed for someone to take care of the two of you. And that leads to memories of how Kibum wandered into your cafe and charmed you and praised you and---

Face flushed, you turn back to the string, rabbit-kicking it a few times to release some emotion. Anyway, you’re grateful for Kibum and Jonghyun. Looking at the sun hanging low in the sky, you decide to:

Go find Taemin

Taemin has been quiet this afternoon. Either he’s napping himself, or has found his way into some kind of mischief that you, as the responsible kitty boy, should investigate. Your first order of business is to go to Jonghyun’s room--Taemin can usually be found curled up there, napping and holding one of Jonghyun’s sweaters close. Except this time, the bed is empty, with the telltale wrinkles and fur to indicate that Taemin was indeed there at some point while you were busy with the string.

Hmm. You ponder where he could be next. The kitchen is empty, and even Taemin knows better than to go into Kibum’s room. The cozy loft in the living room is vacant as well. You stand in the center of the room, scratching your chin, before inspiration strikes you.

You head behind the couch, in the little corner bookended by the sectional couch. It’s a small space, barely big enough for two kitty boys, and it is Taemin’s favorite hiding spot. Indeed, he is curled up there now, his hoard surrounding him--a couple stolen and mismatched socks, a raggedy toy mouse, and a rubber fish for gnawing have all joined him today. In the middle, Taemin himself is sleeping, seemingly tired out from sneaking around while you were playing and running back and forth to transport his hoard. 

You smile fondly at him, before lifting yourself gracefully over the couch arm and into the small space between Taemin and the wall. Even though he’s a little menace, Taemin is indeed your best friend, and you are grateful to have him by your side. At times like this, he even looks like a cute kitty, and you can’t help but groom a couple stray hairs back into place.

Tucking your chin into his shoulder and wrapping your arm around him, you purr lightly as you fall into a comfortable doze.

End


	6. Minho--Soccer Game

It’s a lazy Saturday afternoon, the sun just barely peeking over the clouds from an overcast morning spent lazing around in the living room. You’re warm and cozy where you are, but the sun insistently seems to follow you as you toss and turn. A little bit annoyed, you end up snapping your eyes awake and twitching your ears as you stretch one way first, and then the other. 

Now that you’re awake, you feel too hot under the blankets and you kick them off. Glancing around you, the living room is empty--your owners Kibum and Jonghyun are off going grocery shopping for the week, leaving you and your best friend and fellow kitty boy home alone for the time being. 

Kitty boys are notoriously mischievous unsupervised. Still, 

You, Minho, are a very good and obedient kitty boy

You’re a tall and thin kitty boy, with black tufted ears and a slender tail. You enjoy exercise, and in fact, have a hard time sleeping unless your owner Kibum plays with you and tires you out before bedtime. Tonight, you’re excited about the soccer game between your favorite team and their rival club--even though it makes Kibum roll his eyes and complain fondly at you, you know he’s a softy at heart, and he’s happy when you’re happy. And nothing quite makes you as happy as sitting attentively, eyes glued to the screen, when your favorite striker scores a goal.

Well, maybe when you score the goal yourself in your friendly match with the other hybrids. Or when Kibum buys you a new jersey and holds a photoshoot for Instagram. Or when he calls you a good boy with that proud smile, and--you blush. Maybe a lot of things make you happy--you’re an easy cat to please.

In the meantime, though, you have to entertain yourself. You decide to

Take another cat nap

You’re still tired, and maybe a little bit grumpy at the sun for interrupting what was a very promising cat nap. It’s far too bright in the living room to stay where you are--stretched out on one side of the sectional couch--so you need to find new napping quarters. 

Popping your joints, you lazily survey your surroundings--in the living room, you have the kotatsu and the loft Jonghyun built just for the two of you kitty boys. Hmm. At this hour, the loft would be just as sunny as the rest of the room. Under the kotatsu might work, though--it’s cozy and warm under there.

You also have the room you and Kibum share down the hall. You could snuggle up on Kibum’s bed, surrounded by his scent.

You decide to go with:

The kotatsu

The kotatsu is always nice! If you stick your head under, with a little breathing gap for air to flow through, it should block out the light and keep you warm and cozy. You lope over to the kotatsu, kneading the soft quilt with its pattern of yarn balls and mice. You rub your face into it for a bit, overcome with nostalgia at the memory of buying the kotatsu.

It was one of the first things that Kibum bought for you, after you both had made the large step of deciding to move in with each other (both bringing Taemin and Jonghun along as well). Kibum had noticed your scarves and trembling paws and flushed face as you curled up by the grate that central heat came out of, and offered to take you shopping that very weekend for a kotatsu to warm your bones. 

It was still new in your relationship, before you really knew how much Kibum loved spoiling you, so you felt shy about picking out which one you wanted. Kibum noticed you gravitating with longing glances toward the knit ball and mouse pattern, though, so he made a show of saying how well it would go with the furniture and decor, and wasn’t it adorable, and all that. 

Smiling at the memory of Kibum’s generosity, you decide to crawl under the kotatsu. For maximum temperature control, you decide to:

Keep your whole body under the kotatsu

You burrow your way completely under the kotatsu, poking a paw out to make a satisfactory breathing tunnel. The warm heat radiating off the heater underneath the table, and the soft, diffused light passing through the thick quilt put you to sleep in no time at all.

You dream of chasing a soccer ball on a field, with Taemin, Jonghyun, and Kibum cheering you from the stands. Your opponents are large versions of Taemin’s various toys--a huge, animated stuffed mouse; Taemin’s gnawed-up fish plushie; a catnip-filled carrot stuffy. Dodging the waddling mouse, you evade the fish only to be tempted by the catnip--but no! You need to score the goal! 

You dribble the ball away from the catnip carrot, and shoot for the goal--success! You’ve assured your team a spot in the championships! As you run around the field celebrating, you hear the fans shouting your name. You hear *Kibum* shouting your name, telling you you’re a good boy, promising to reward you…

But his voice sounds kind of concerned now? He’s still shouting your name, but it sounds like he’s looking for something…

Drowsily blinking awake, you poke your head out of the kotatsu. Opening your mouth as you stretch awake lets out an unconscious yowl, and you hear footsteps heading your direction. 

Kibum appears, looking a little flustered. “There you are! I was looking all over for you.” He crouches to pat your head, smiling fondly as the worry dissipates from his eyes as you butt your head into his palm. 

“Don’t worry,” you mumble, still sleepy. “You’ll always find me.”

End


	7. Minho--Ribbon

It’s a lazy Saturday afternoon, the sun just barely peeking over the clouds from an overcast morning spent lazing around in the living room. You’re warm and cozy where you are, but the sun insistently seems to follow you as you toss and turn. A little bit annoyed, you end up snapping your eyes awake and twitching your ears as you stretch one way first, and then the other. 

Now that you’re awake, you feel too hot under the blankets and you kick them off. Glancing around you, the living room is empty--your owners Kibum and Jonghyun are off going grocery shopping for the week, leaving you and your best friend and fellow kitty boy home alone for the time being. 

Kitty boys are notoriously mischievous unsupervised. Still, 

You, Minho, are a very good and obedient kitty boy

You’re a tall and thin kitty boy, with black tufted ears and a slender tail. You enjoy exercise, and in fact, have a hard time sleeping unless your owner Kibum plays with you and tires you out before bedtime. Tonight, you’re excited about the soccer game between your favorite team and their rival club--even though it makes Kibum roll his eyes and complain fondly at you, you know he’s a softy at heart, and he’s happy when you’re happy. And nothing quite makes you as happy as sitting attentively, eyes glued to the screen, when your favorite striker scores a goal.

Well, maybe when you score the goal yourself in your friendly match with the other hybrids. Or when Kibum buys you a new jersey and holds a photoshoot for Instagram. Or when he calls you a good boy with that proud smile, and--you blush. Maybe a lot of things make you happy--you’re an easy cat to please.

In the meantime, though, you have to entertain yourself. You decide to

Take another cat nap

You’re still tired, and maybe a little bit grumpy at the sun for interrupting what was a very promising cat nap. It’s far too bright in the living room to stay where you are--stretched out on one side of the sectional couch--so you need to find new napping quarters. 

Popping your joints, you lazily survey your surroundings--in the living room, you have the kotatsu and the loft Jonghyun built just for the two of you kitty boys. Hmm. At this hour, the loft would be just as sunny as the rest of the room. Under the kotatsu might work, though--it’s cozy and warm under there.

You also have the room you and Kibum share down the hall. You could snuggle up on Kibum’s bed, surrounded by his scent.

You decide to go with:

The kotatsu

The kotatsu is always nice! If you stick your head under, with a little breathing gap for air to flow through, it should block out the light and keep you warm and cozy. You lope over to the kotatsu, kneading the soft quilt with its pattern of yarn balls and mice. You rub your face into it for a bit, overcome with nostalgia at the memory of buying the kotatsu.

It was one of the first things that Kibum bought for you, after you both had made the large step of deciding to move in with each other (both bringing Taemin and Jonghun along as well). Kibum had noticed your scarves and trembling paws and flushed face as you curled up by the grate that central heat came out of, and offered to take you shopping that very weekend for a kotatsu to warm your bones. 

It was still new in your relationship, before you really knew how much Kibum loved spoiling you, so you felt shy about picking out which one you wanted. Kibum noticed you gravitating with longing glances toward the knit ball and mouse pattern, though, so he made a show of saying how well it would go with the furniture and decor, and wasn’t it adorable, and all that. 

Smiling at the memory of Kibum’s generosity, you decide to crawl under the kotatsu. For maximum temperature control, you decide to:

Stick your tail out

Keeping your tail out is the best way to stay at the perfect temperature! Not too hot, not too cold. You head over to the kotatsu, and snuggle your way under the quilted covers. Creating a nice breathing space for your head, and keeping your tail carefully running along the outside covers (you’ve learned the hard way not to leave your tail in well-traveled areas), you let the warm heat and soft lighting lure you to sleep.

You dream that you are on an adventure! You are climbing a mountain with Kibum, Taemin, and Jonghyun. You’re on your way to find some kind of treasure that Kibum and Jonghyun are excited about. Suddenly, as you are scaling a rock, one of the birds you are always clacking your teeth at through the window shows up! And then another, and another! They’re mad at you for always wanting to eat them, so they’re dropping pebbles on the four of you.

A pebble catches on your tail, and you shake it to try and get it off, but somehow it’s sticking. You frown and whip your tail around some more, but the feeling remains. You call out to Kibum to help you, but he only starts chuckling. Why is he laughing, this is an emergency! 

You wake up with a start and a pout on your face. Outside your kotatsu cave, you hear Kibum’s giggle again, and you drowsily poke your head out just in time to hear a camera shutter. 

Kibum is standing above you taking pictures with his phone. You blink at him, and he stifles a laugh, complementing your pretty tail. 

You glance down, and see a pink ribbon tied around your tail. Taemin!!!

End


	8. Minho--Spray

It’s a lazy Saturday afternoon, the sun just barely peeking over the clouds from an overcast morning spent lazing around in the living room. You’re warm and cozy where you are, but the sun insistently seems to follow you as you toss and turn. A little bit annoyed, you end up snapping your eyes awake and twitching your ears as you stretch one way first, and then the other. 

Now that you’re awake, you feel too hot under the blankets and you kick them off. Glancing around you, the living room is empty--your owners Kibum and Jonghyun are off going grocery shopping for the week, leaving you and your best friend and fellow kitty boy home alone for the time being. 

Kitty boys are notoriously mischievous unsupervised. Still, 

You, Minho, are a very good and obedient kitty boy

You’re a tall and thin kitty boy, with black tufted ears and a slender tail. You enjoy exercise, and in fact, have a hard time sleeping unless your owner Kibum plays with you and tires you out before bedtime. Tonight, you’re excited about the soccer game between your favorite team and their rival club--even though it makes Kibum roll his eyes and complain fondly at you, you know he’s a softy at heart, and he’s happy when you’re happy. And nothing quite makes you as happy as sitting attentively, eyes glued to the screen, when your favorite striker scores a goal.

Well, maybe when you score the goal yourself in your friendly match with the other hybrids. Or when Kibum buys you a new jersey and holds a photoshoot for Instagram. Or when he calls you a good boy with that proud smile, and--you blush. Maybe a lot of things make you happy--you’re an easy cat to please.

In the meantime, though, you have to entertain yourself. You decide to

Take another cat nap

You’re still tired, and maybe a little bit grumpy at the sun for interrupting what was a very promising cat nap. It’s far too bright in the living room to stay where you are--stretched out on one side of the sectional couch--so you need to find new napping quarters. 

Popping your joints, you lazily survey your surroundings--in the living room, you have the kotatsu and the loft Jonghyun built just for the two of you kitty boys. Hmm. At this hour, the loft would be just as sunny as the rest of the room. Under the kotatsu might work, though--it’s cozy and warm under there.

You also have the room you and Kibum share down the hall. You could snuggle up on Kibum’s bed, surrounded by his scent.

You decide to go with:

The bed

You decide to head down the hallway toward the bedroom that you and Kibum share. You always sleep better when you can smell Kibum’s scent--his shampoo, soap, and aftershave--surrounding you. On your way down the hall, you scoot past Taemin, who has a shifty look in his eyes. You briefly wonder what he’s up to, before ultimately deciding not to worry about it--Taemin tends to seek out enough trouble by himself, and you’d rather keep your status as the good kitty boy, thank you very much.

You reach Kibum’s bedroom, and flop down on the king-sized bed that the two of you share. Rolling around a bit, you happily settle into the very middle of the bed. You remember back when the two of you were shopping for a large bed to move in together, and how you knew in your bones it was the right decision to make--Kibum made you feel safe in a way that hybrids don’t often get in this society. And then thanks to Kibum, you and Taemin met Jonghyun, and now you’re all happily living together…

Just as you’re about to drift off to sleep with those thoughts in mind, you hear a bang and a loud yowl from the kitchen. Taemin. You knew he was up to something. You decide to:

Investigate whatever trouble he’s in now

Looking mournfully at your cozy bed, with its perfect little Minho-shaped imprint in the center, you decide to leave the room and pad softly down the hall. When you arrive in the kitchen, you see a sight that makes you almost drop to the ground with surprise: Taemin, soaked from head to toe, guiltily clutching the mackerel that was supposed to be tonight’s dinner, the sink nozzle still spraying wildly behind him. 

The sight of Taemin’s poofed-out tail, shocked face, and dripping hair throw you into fits of laughter, your characteristic cackle making Taemin scowl and hiss at you. You dig into your pocket to find your phone, quickly snapping pictures of the murderous kitty boy as he growls at you to help him or get smacked by the mackerel, now, Minho--

You continue giggling as you approach the sink, warily eyeing the spraying nozzle. With an agile paw, you turn the water pressure off, and sigh in relief as the nozzle goes limp and lifeless. It seems you might have to talk to Kibum and Jonghyun about the kitchen sink water pressure....

In the meantime, you turn your eyes to Taemin, who has gone from scowling to cajoling, looking up at you with kitty eyes and face practically begging you to help him clean up. 

“Put the mackerel away, Taemin-ah,” you sigh, wiping your paws on your pants, “I’ll go get the towels.”

End


	9. Minho--Sleepy

It’s a lazy Saturday afternoon, the sun just barely peeking over the clouds from an overcast morning spent lazing around in the living room. You’re warm and cozy where you are, but the sun insistently seems to follow you as you toss and turn. A little bit annoyed, you end up snapping your eyes awake and twitching your ears as you stretch one way first, and then the other. 

Now that you’re awake, you feel too hot under the blankets and you kick them off. Glancing around you, the living room is empty--your owners Kibum and Jonghyun are off going grocery shopping for the week, leaving you and your best friend and fellow kitty boy home alone for the time being. 

Kitty boys are notoriously mischievous unsupervised. Still, 

You, Minho, are a very good and obedient kitty boy

You’re a tall and thin kitty boy, with black tufted ears and a slender tail. You enjoy exercise, and in fact, have a hard time sleeping unless your owner Kibum plays with you and tires you out before bedtime. Tonight, you’re excited about the soccer game between your favorite team and their rival club--even though it makes Kibum roll his eyes and complain fondly at you, you know he’s a softy at heart, and he’s happy when you’re happy. And nothing quite makes you as happy as sitting attentively, eyes glued to the screen, when your favorite striker scores a goal.

Well, maybe when you score the goal yourself in your friendly match with the other hybrids. Or when Kibum buys you a new jersey and holds a photoshoot for Instagram. Or when he calls you a good boy with that proud smile, and--you blush. Maybe a lot of things make you happy--you’re an easy cat to please.

In the meantime, though, you have to entertain yourself. You decide to

Take another cat nap

You’re still tired, and maybe a little bit grumpy at the sun for interrupting what was a very promising cat nap. It’s far too bright in the living room to stay where you are--stretched out on one side of the sectional couch--so you need to find new napping quarters. 

Popping your joints, you lazily survey your surroundings--in the living room, you have the kotatsu and the loft Jonghyun built just for the two of you kitty boys. Hmm. At this hour, the loft would be just as sunny as the rest of the room. Under the kotatsu might work, though--it’s cozy and warm under there.

You also have the room you and Kibum share down the hall. You could snuggle up on Kibum’s bed, surrounded by his scent.

You decide to go with:

The bed

You decide to head down the hallway toward the bedroom that you and Kibum share. You always sleep better when you can smell Kibum’s scent--his shampoo, soap, and aftershave--surrounding you. On your way down the hall, you scoot past Taemin, who has a shifty look in his eyes. You briefly wonder what he’s up to, before ultimately deciding not to worry about it--Taemin tends to seek out enough trouble by himself, and you’d rather keep your status as the good kitty boy, thank you very much.

You reach Kibum’s bedroom, and flop down on the king-sized bed that the two of you share. Rolling around a bit, you happily settle into the very middle of the bed. You remember back when the two of you were shopping for a large bed to move in together, and how you knew in your bones it was the right decision to make--Kibum made you feel safe in a way that hybrids don’t often get in this society. And then thanks to Kibum, you and Taemin met Jonghyun, and now you’re all happily living together…

Just as you’re about to drift off to sleep with those thoughts in mind, you hear a bang and a loud yowl from the kitchen. Taemin. You knew he was up to something. You decide to:

Leave him be. If he needs help he’ll call

You shrug to yourself. Taemin is a smart kitty boy--he’ll figure it out. If he needs help he’ll call out to you, but he probably tried to steal some food and dropped a pot or something. No need to get involved with what will likely be his punishment later.

You snuggle back into the perfect little crevice you’ve created in between your body pillow, Kibum’s cushion, and the comforter. Sure enough, the noises in the kitchen stop, and you can hear Taemin padding urgently up and down the hall, no doubt trying to cover up whatever mischief he got into.

It all floats over your head, though, as you drift off into a dreamless sleep, surrounded by Kibum’s scent and kneading your claws into your body pillow.

Later, feel yourself stir awake. You stretch and your joints pop, and you open your eyes to a dark room dimly-lit by only the corner lamp. 

“Go back to sleep Minho,” you hear Kibum whisper, silhouetted by the lamp, “It’s just me.”

You roll over to face him, a frown on your face. Is it already night? There was something you had to do….something you can’t remember….

You feel Kibum’s warm hand come down to stroke your hair. “I recorded your soccer game, silly kitty. Now go to bed. It’s late. I’ll join you soon.”

Soccer game! It pricks in the back of your mind, but Kibum is right. It feels late, and you’re still sleepy, so you roll over and smile as you fall back asleep.

End


	10. Taemin--Success

It’s a lazy Saturday afternoon, the sun just barely peeking over the clouds from an overcast morning spent lazing around in the living room. You’re warm and cozy where you are, but the sun insistently seems to follow you as you toss and turn. A little bit annoyed, you end up snapping your eyes awake and twitching your ears as you stretch one way first, and then the other. 

Now that you’re awake, you feel too hot under the blankets and you kick them off. Glancing around you, the living room is empty--your owners Kibum and Jonghyun are off going grocery shopping for the week, leaving you and your best friend and fellow kitty boy home alone for the time being. 

Kitty boys are notoriously mischievous unsupervised. Still, 

You, Taemin, tend to be even naughtier than the rest

You’re a rather slender kitty boy, with ash-grey ears and a curious, lilting tail. You have broad shoulders but delicate limbs, and, although you’re a bit skittish around strangers, can usually be found padding around the house with a sly look on your face. You rather like breaking the rules just for the sake of enjoying the chaotic returns, but it also helps you get over a somewhat awkward demeanor.

Back when you were still sharing an apartment with your best friend and fellow kitty boy, Minho, you tended to avoid strangers or intimidate them with your sleek aura. Luckily, Jonghyun saw past all of that quickly--when he looks at you in awe, it’s a beautiful and genuine warmth in his eyes, rather than the cold distance of strangers on the street. You love his attention, but lately he’s been so busy writing that you haven’t been able to really revel in it for a few days. He’s promised some alone time tonight, maybe with the guitar, casually strumming as the two of you lean on the bed late at night. 

But it puts you in a somewhat mischievous mood, not having a lot of attention lately. Debating what to do about this, you decide to:

Explore the house

Wandering the house will turn up something to do while you wait for Jonghyun to come back from the store! The house is the perfect Goldilocks of houses--a cute, single story flat just off the beaten path of city transit, where Jonghyun can commute to his record studio and Kibum to his fashion executive office, but just far enough away to keep work from following them home. It’s cozy, but big enough for two active kitty boys. 

There’s a garden out back that Jonghyun mostly tends to, with a few herbs and flowers growing in rudimentary plots. Kibum might sit out there and read in the shade, and Minho mostly just clacks his teeth at birds. You, for your part, almost never go into the garden for fear of the bugs and creepy crawlies living out there. One time,you saw a *spider* even. Ugh.

You push away thoughts of bugs and look around you. To your left, you can hear Minho playing with something. To your right, you have Jonghyun and Kibum’s bedrooms, the laundry room, and the bathroom. You head:

Left

As expected, you see Minho laying on his back, tossing his rainbow string up and down. After a particularly vigorous throw, it lands a few feet away, and he jumps and swirls to look at it, leaving his back to you. 

Perfect, you think. It’s clear that he hasn’t seen you coming down the hallway. Time to strike.

It isn’t that you dislike your fellow kitty boy, not at all. You don’t like to say it, but you’re grateful to Minho for taking you under his wing at the foster house so long ago, back when you were a trembling kitten and he had looked so cool and grown up precociously shaking your paw and telling you he would protect you, when he had been little more than a kitten himself. 

It’s thanks to Minho and Kibum that you met Jonghyun, even. If Kibum hadn’t walked into the cafe where Minho worked, and if Jonghyun hadn’t been his roommate, the two of you might have never met. Which is a sad and lonely thought. Better chase it away by pouncing on Minho. You:

Sneak up on him

Carefully picking one foot up, then the other, you make your way to where Minho is crouched and staring at the string. His body is tensed up, coiled tight like a spring. Stifling your giggles--now is not the time!--you creep up until you’re right behind him, and bat his behind with your paw.

Minho shoots up into the air, clinging in midair to the loft that Jonghyun made for you two kitty boys, and scrambling up the ladder into the interior. With wild eyes and flattened ears, he turns to look at you, baring his teeth as you burst into laughter. 

As he watches you roll on the floor, he hisses at you sulkily, before whipping his body around and facing away from you, tail neatly tucked by his side. But he’s Minho, can’t stay mad for too long, and sure enough, he’s glancing your way with a small smile on his face that he tries to hide behind his paw. 

Reassured that Minho is fine from your little prank--and that he won’t be telling Jonghyun--you return to your cozy spot on the couch. You’ve gotten the jitters out of your system, you think contentedly. Now you can wait for Jonghyun to get home and spend the night with you.

Looking forward to it, you close your eyes and drift off to sleep again.

End


	11. Taemin--Failure

It’s a lazy Saturday afternoon, the sun just barely peeking over the clouds from an overcast morning spent lazing around in the living room. You’re warm and cozy where you are, but the sun insistently seems to follow you as you toss and turn. A little bit annoyed, you end up snapping your eyes awake and twitching your ears as you stretch one way first, and then the other. 

Now that you’re awake, you feel too hot under the blankets and you kick them off. Glancing around you, the living room is empty--your owners Kibum and Jonghyun are off going grocery shopping for the week, leaving you and your best friend and fellow kitty boy home alone for the time being. 

Kitty boys are notoriously mischievous unsupervised. Still, 

You, Taemin, tend to be even naughtier than the rest

You’re a rather slender kitty boy, with ash-grey ears and a curious, lilting tail. You have broad shoulders but delicate limbs, and, although you’re a bit skittish around strangers, can usually be found padding around the house with a sly look on your face. You rather like breaking the rules just for the sake of enjoying the chaotic returns, but it also helps you get over a somewhat awkward demeanor.

Back when you were still sharing an apartment with your best friend and fellow kitty boy, Minho, you tended to avoid strangers or intimidate them with your sleek aura. Luckily, Jonghyun saw past all of that quickly--when he looks at you in awe, it’s a beautiful and genuine warmth in his eyes, rather than the cold distance of strangers on the street. You love his attention, but lately he’s been so busy writing that you haven’t been able to really revel in it for a few days. He’s promised some alone time tonight, maybe with the guitar, casually strumming as the two of you lean on the bed late at night. 

But it puts you in a somewhat mischievous mood, not having a lot of attention lately. Debating what to do about this, you decide to:

Explore the house

Wandering the house will turn up something to do while you wait for Jonghyun to come back from the store! The house is the perfect Goldilocks of houses--a cute, single story flat just off the beaten path of city transit, where Jonghyun can commute to his record studio and Kibum to his fashion executive office, but just far enough away to keep work from following them home. It’s cozy, but big enough for two active kitty boys. 

There’s a garden out back that Jonghyun mostly tends to, with a few herbs and flowers growing in rudimentary plots. Kibum might sit out there and read in the shade, and Minho mostly just clacks his teeth at birds. You, for your part, almost never go into the garden for fear of the bugs and creepy crawlies living out there. One time,you saw a *spider* even. Ugh.

You push away thoughts of bugs and look around you. To your left, you can hear Minho playing with something. To your right, you have Jonghyun and Kibum’s bedrooms, the laundry room, and the bathroom. You head:

Left

As expected, you see Minho laying on his back, tossing his rainbow string up and down. After a particularly vigorous throw, it lands a few feet away, and he jumps and swirls to look at it, leaving his back to you. 

Perfect, you think. It’s clear that he hasn’t seen you coming down the hallway. Time to strike.

It isn’t that you dislike your fellow kitty boy, not at all. You don’t like to say it, but you’re grateful to Minho for taking you under his wing at the foster house so long ago, back when you were a trembling kitten and he had looked so cool and grown up precociously shaking your paw and telling you he would protect you, when he had been little more than a kitten himself. 

It’s thanks to Minho and Kibum that you met Jonghyun, even. If Kibum hadn’t walked into the cafe where Minho worked, and if Jonghyun hadn’t been his roommate, the two of you might have never met. Which is a sad and lonely thought. Better chase it away by pouncing on Minho. You:

Charge right at him

Letting out a yowl, you dash straight toward Minho, who whips around on instinct. His eyes widen as he sees you running at him, and, still staring you straight in the face, he reaches up with a paw and baps you straight on the nose! 

You fall back onto your tail in surprise. This wasn’t supposed to happen! You were just going to pounce on him then let him go, but now he’s standing over you, catching his breath, while you blink owlishly up at him. The bap didn’t hurt--Minho didn’t have his claws out--but it was surprising.

All of the sudden, you feel a heavy weight pressing on you as well. Struggling, you yowl as Minho settles on top of you and begins *grooming* you. Ugh, this is so embarrassing! You hiss and struggle for a bit, before Minho gently places his teeth on your neck. You get the message, sulking as your body goes lax and he nudges your hair into where he wants it to be. 

“You troublemaking kitten,” you hear him mumble, “you’re lucky you’re so cute. I don’t know what Jonghyun sees in you.”

“You said it yourself--I’m cute,” you retort cheekily. You relax as Minho gets less forceful with his grooming--the hands running through your hair feel a little bit good now. 

“Taemin-ah.”

Mmm? You question, rolling over now that Minho has loosened his grip some.

“You’re purring.”

All of the indignancy of the situation flushes back into you, and you let out a mighty yowl, running down the hallway to the sound of Minho’s cackle.

End


	12. Taemin--Hoodie Trouble

It’s a lazy Saturday afternoon, the sun just barely peeking over the clouds from an overcast morning spent lazing around in the living room. You’re warm and cozy where you are, but the sun insistently seems to follow you as you toss and turn. A little bit annoyed, you end up snapping your eyes awake and twitching your ears as you stretch one way first, and then the other. 

Now that you’re awake, you feel too hot under the blankets and you kick them off. Glancing around you, the living room is empty--your owners Kibum and Jonghyun are off going grocery shopping for the week, leaving you and your best friend and fellow kitty boy home alone for the time being. 

Kitty boys are notoriously mischievous unsupervised. Still, 

You, Taemin, tend to be even naughtier than the rest

You’re a rather slender kitty boy, with ash-grey ears and a curious, lilting tail. You have broad shoulders but delicate limbs, and, although you’re a bit skittish around strangers, can usually be found padding around the house with a sly look on your face. You rather like breaking the rules just for the sake of enjoying the chaotic returns, but it also helps you get over a somewhat awkward demeanor.

Back when you were still sharing an apartment with your best friend and fellow kitty boy, Minho, you tended to avoid strangers or intimidate them with your sleek aura. Luckily, Jonghyun saw past all of that quickly--when he looks at you in awe, it’s a beautiful and genuine warmth in his eyes, rather than the cold distance of strangers on the street. You love his attention, but lately he’s been so busy writing that you haven’t been able to really revel in it for a few days. He’s promised some alone time tonight, maybe with the guitar, casually strumming as the two of you lean on the bed late at night. 

But it puts you in a somewhat mischievous mood, not having a lot of attention lately. Debating what to do about this, you decide to:

Explore the house

Wandering the house will turn up something to do while you wait for Jonghyun to come back from the store! The house is the perfect Goldilocks of houses--a cute, single story flat just off the beaten path of city transit, where Jonghyun can commute to his record studio and Kibum to his fashion executive office, but just far enough away to keep work from following them home. It’s cozy, but big enough for two active kitty boys. 

There’s a garden out back that Jonghyun mostly tends to, with a few herbs and flowers growing in rudimentary plots. Kibum might sit out there and read in the shade, and Minho mostly just clacks his teeth at birds. You, for your part, almost never go into the garden for fear of the bugs and creepy crawlies living out there. One time,you saw a *spider* even. Ugh.

You push away thoughts of bugs and look around you. To your left, you can hear Minho playing with something. To your right, you have Jonghyun and Kibum’s bedrooms, the laundry room, and the bathroom. You head:

Right

You decide to round the corner down the hallway, leaving Minho to his own devices. There’s nothing of interest in the bathroom you and Jonghyun share, nor is there anything worthwhile in the laundry room. Just as you think that going and goading Minho into some trouble would be your next step, something catches your eye at the doorway near Jonghyun’s room. 

There’s a heavy, black hoodie on the ground, likely knocked over by Jonghyun in his rush to catch up with Kibum as they left for the store. It’s one of Jonghyun’s favorites--he often wears it when working from home late into the night--which means it’s one of your favorites, too, covered in his scent. 

You pad softly into the room, staring down at the hoodie. It’s unusual to have clutter in the room--you and he prefer a more simple aesthetic and aren’t ones for knick knacks--so the hoodie stands out on the carpet. Hmm. A nice, solitary snuggle with Jonghyun’s hoodie sounds like a better plan than accosting Minho right now. 

You plop down next to the hoodie and:

Gnaw and knead it like instinct demands

You’re a kitty boy--of course you have to stick the hoodie in your mouth and give it a little chew. One quick bite turns into a long gnaw, turns into a teething session, and soon you’re chewing on the hoodie while puncturing into it with your claws. This makes you happy as a clam--without Jonghyun here, this is the next best thing, getting to roll and kick and chew on something warm and soft that smells just like him. 

You know that you’re different than Minho, who is obedient and eager to please. You’re more independent, less openly needy, more curious about the unknown, less caring about social restrictions. This has gotten you into trouble more than once, with Minho bailing you out when you two were kittens. More than that, it secretly makes you insecure--Minho is the perfect image of a docile kitty boy, and you couldn’t be if you tried. 

But, you remember, face flushing, Jonghyun doesn’t mind. He’s told you in confidence that he prefers someone who is more independent, who can keep up with his various whims and challenge him in their own way. Jonghyun, you flush deeper, told you you’re perfect. 

The emotion makes you tear a little too hard with your claws, ripping a hole down the front of the hoodie. At that exact moment, you hear the front door open, signalling the return of Kibum and Jonghyun. Staring wildly at the sheared hoodie, you grimace, then turn and start preparing your best pleading kitty eyes. You know you’ll need them.

End


	13. Taemin--Hoodie Cuddles

It’s a lazy Saturday afternoon, the sun just barely peeking over the clouds from an overcast morning spent lazing around in the living room. You’re warm and cozy where you are, but the sun insistently seems to follow you as you toss and turn. A little bit annoyed, you end up snapping your eyes awake and twitching your ears as you stretch one way first, and then the other. 

Now that you’re awake, you feel too hot under the blankets and you kick them off. Glancing around you, the living room is empty--your owners Kibum and Jonghyun are off going grocery shopping for the week, leaving you and your best friend and fellow kitty boy home alone for the time being. 

Kitty boys are notoriously mischievous unsupervised. Still, 

You, Taemin, tend to be even naughtier than the rest

You’re a rather slender kitty boy, with ash-grey ears and a curious, lilting tail. You have broad shoulders but delicate limbs, and, although you’re a bit skittish around strangers, can usually be found padding around the house with a sly look on your face. You rather like breaking the rules just for the sake of enjoying the chaotic returns, but it also helps you get over a somewhat awkward demeanor.

Back when you were still sharing an apartment with your best friend and fellow kitty boy, Minho, you tended to avoid strangers or intimidate them with your sleek aura. Luckily, Jonghyun saw past all of that quickly--when he looks at you in awe, it’s a beautiful and genuine warmth in his eyes, rather than the cold distance of strangers on the street. You love his attention, but lately he’s been so busy writing that you haven’t been able to really revel in it for a few days. He’s promised some alone time tonight, maybe with the guitar, casually strumming as the two of you lean on the bed late at night. 

But it puts you in a somewhat mischievous mood, not having a lot of attention lately. Debating what to do about this, you decide to:

Explore the house

Wandering the house will turn up something to do while you wait for Jonghyun to come back from the store! The house is the perfect Goldilocks of houses--a cute, single story flat just off the beaten path of city transit, where Jonghyun can commute to his record studio and Kibum to his fashion executive office, but just far enough away to keep work from following them home. It’s cozy, but big enough for two active kitty boys. 

There’s a garden out back that Jonghyun mostly tends to, with a few herbs and flowers growing in rudimentary plots. Kibum might sit out there and read in the shade, and Minho mostly just clacks his teeth at birds. You, for your part, almost never go into the garden for fear of the bugs and creepy crawlies living out there. One time,you saw a *spider* even. Ugh.

You push away thoughts of bugs and look around you. To your left, you can hear Minho playing with something. To your right, you have Jonghyun and Kibum’s bedrooms, the laundry room, and the bathroom. You head:

Right

You decide to round the corner down the hallway, leaving Minho to his own devices. There’s nothing of interest in the bathroom you and Jonghyun share, nor is there anything worthwhile in the laundry room. Just as you think that going and goading Minho into some trouble would be your next step, something catches your eye at the doorway near Jonghyun’s room. 

There’s a heavy, black hoodie on the ground, likely knocked over by Jonghyun in his rush to catch up with Kibum as they left for the store. It’s one of Jonghyun’s favorites--he often wears it when working from home late into the night--which means it’s one of your favorites, too, covered in his scent. 

You pad softly into the room, staring down at the hoodie. It’s unusual to have clutter in the room--you and he prefer a more simple aesthetic and aren’t ones for knick knacks--so the hoodie stands out on the carpet. Hmm. A nice, solitary snuggle with Jonghyun’s hoodie sounds like a better plan than accosting Minho right now. 

You plop down next to the hoodie and:

Settle for rubbing your cheek on it

You really, really want to just bite and chew at the hoodie, but you know that way lies getting carried away and possibly chewing an entire hole right through the fabric. So instead, you settle for miming scent marking, laying on the floor and rubbing your cheeks against the hoodie. It’s warm and soft and smells like Jonghyun, so it lulls you into a comfortable doze.

You dream of a slightly altered world where you and Minho are humans, taking care of kitty boys Kibum and Jonghyun. You laugh at the sight of soccer player Minho being dragged from place to place by an excitable Kibum, decked out in matching ribbons and a customized collar. Minho, as docile as a human as he is as a kitty boy, follows with enthusiasm and affection. 

Jonghyun, on the other hand, is a dashing and mercurial kitty boy, charming at one turn, sulky at another. But you’re an indulgent owner--you can’t help hanging off his every word, splurging to support his interests with your concert earnings. You buy him tickets to his favorite music artist’s new show, and he looks so happy you can’t help but pat his head. Then he starts patting your head, too, and the image of you both petting each other is so funny to you that you wake up with a snort.

When you open your eyes, you see Jonghyun crouched above you, gently rubbing your ears. He smiles down at you, asking what you’re laughing about. 

Giving him a quick headbutt of a greeting, your eyes glint, and you ask, “How would you feel about a collar?”

End


	14. Taemin--Michelin

It’s a lazy Saturday afternoon, the sun just barely peeking over the clouds from an overcast morning spent lazing around in the living room. You’re warm and cozy where you are, but the sun insistently seems to follow you as you toss and turn. A little bit annoyed, you end up snapping your eyes awake and twitching your ears as you stretch one way first, and then the other. 

Now that you’re awake, you feel too hot under the blankets and you kick them off. Glancing around you, the living room is empty--your owners Kibum and Jonghyun are off going grocery shopping for the week, leaving you and your best friend and fellow kitty boy home alone for the time being. 

Kitty boys are notoriously mischievous unsupervised. Still, 

You, Taemin, tend to be even naughtier than the rest

You’re a rather slender kitty boy, with ash-grey ears and a curious, lilting tail. You have broad shoulders but delicate limbs, and, although you’re a bit skittish around strangers, can usually be found padding around the house with a sly look on your face. You rather like breaking the rules just for the sake of enjoying the chaotic returns, but it also helps you get over a somewhat awkward demeanor.

Back when you were still sharing an apartment with your best friend and fellow kitty boy, Minho, you tended to avoid strangers or intimidate them with your sleek aura. Luckily, Jonghyun saw past all of that quickly--when he looks at you in awe, it’s a beautiful and genuine warmth in his eyes, rather than the cold distance of strangers on the street. You love his attention, but lately he’s been so busy writing that you haven’t been able to really revel in it for a few days. He’s promised some alone time tonight, maybe with the guitar, casually strumming as the two of you lean on the bed late at night. 

But it puts you in a somewhat mischievous mood, not having a lot of attention lately. Debating what to do about this, you decide to:

Go get something to eat

Your stomach rumbles, demanding you go to the kitchen to fix yourself a meal. In your little household unit, Kibum does most of the cooking, assisted every so often by Jonghyun’s competent but simple meals. But you and Minho aren’t completely helpless--Minho used to work at a cafe, and you….well, you don’t have a lot of practical training, but you’ve always managed!

With that in mind, you pad into the kitchen to observe your mise en scene. In the fridge you have: some leftover chicken, some tomatoes, all the normal condiments, a mackerel Kibum is saving for tonight’s dinner….Hmm. Kibum also has his pasta that he’s marked as “Kibum--do not eat.” 

Hmm, decisions, decisions. You stare down the food in the fridge, hoping something will jump out at you. Alright, you’ve decided! You’re going to:

Make a sandwich

Putting aside the memory of how good Kibum’s leftover pasta will taste--you remember from just a few nights ago how good it was fresh--you decide that you can make your own meal, and make it just as good!

You’ll make a chicken sandwich! Luckily, the chicken breast is already sliced and seasoned perfectly. You ponder what else to include in your sandwich. Maybe some balsamic vinegar would taste good….and then you could add some honey for sweetness...and then some tomato--hey, people eat tomato with cheese and balsamic vinegar, right? Add some cheese, too, then....You’ll even toast the bread and put some mayonnaise on it…

This is going to be great! You feel awesome about this sandwich. Minho’s going to be so jealous of your great sandwich. If you’re feeling magnanimous, he might get a bite or two. But the first bite goes to you! You open your mouth and:

Take a huge chomp

Oh my god. Oh my godddddddd. You were so right. This is the best sandwich ever. Forget Minho, he’s not getting anything! You need to eat this whole thing right now.

You’re torn between cramming the whole thing into your mouth as quickly as you can, and slowing down to savor the taste. You’re not very good with restraint, but you force yourself to eat it bite by bite, enjoying the way the acidity of the tomato and vinegar matches with the mild cheese and the tang of sweet honey, and the grounding flavor of tasty roasted chicken….

You seriously are going to tell Kibum about this. The chef in residence needs to know this recipe for posterity and future consumption. You briefly consider leaving half the sandwich for Jonghyun to enjoy as well, but you quickly reason away that it won’t taste nearly as good soggy. Besides, all the ingredients are still here--you can just make him one tomorrow!

Yeah, that’s a good idea. You might even get a reward for being such an inventive and considerate kitty. Great plan, you think to yourself. 

Finishing off the sandwich, you clean up the crumbs, and confidently think to yourself that you should’ve known you would make a Michelin-starred sandwich.

End


	15. Taemin--Trash

It’s a lazy Saturday afternoon, the sun just barely peeking over the clouds from an overcast morning spent lazing around in the living room. You’re warm and cozy where you are, but the sun insistently seems to follow you as you toss and turn. A little bit annoyed, you end up snapping your eyes awake and twitching your ears as you stretch one way first, and then the other. 

Now that you’re awake, you feel too hot under the blankets and you kick them off. Glancing around you, the living room is empty--your owners Kibum and Jonghyun are off going grocery shopping for the week, leaving you and your best friend and fellow kitty boy home alone for the time being. 

Kitty boys are notoriously mischievous unsupervised. Still, 

You, Taemin, tend to be even naughtier than the rest

You’re a rather slender kitty boy, with ash-grey ears and a curious, lilting tail. You have broad shoulders but delicate limbs, and, although you’re a bit skittish around strangers, can usually be found padding around the house with a sly look on your face. You rather like breaking the rules just for the sake of enjoying the chaotic returns, but it also helps you get over a somewhat awkward demeanor.

Back when you were still sharing an apartment with your best friend and fellow kitty boy, Minho, you tended to avoid strangers or intimidate them with your sleek aura. Luckily, Jonghyun saw past all of that quickly--when he looks at you in awe, it’s a beautiful and genuine warmth in his eyes, rather than the cold distance of strangers on the street. You love his attention, but lately he’s been so busy writing that you haven’t been able to really revel in it for a few days. He’s promised some alone time tonight, maybe with the guitar, casually strumming as the two of you lean on the bed late at night. 

But it puts you in a somewhat mischievous mood, not having a lot of attention lately. Debating what to do about this, you decide to:

Go get something to eat

Your stomach rumbles, demanding you go to the kitchen to fix yourself a meal. In your little household unit, Kibum does most of the cooking, assisted every so often by Jonghyun’s competent but simple meals. But you and Minho aren’t completely helpless--Minho used to work at a cafe, and you….well, you don’t have a lot of practical training, but you’ve always managed!

With that in mind, you pad into the kitchen to observe your mise en scene. In the fridge you have: some leftover chicken, some tomatoes, all the normal condiments, a mackerel Kibum is saving for tonight’s dinner….Hmm. Kibum also has his pasta that he’s marked as “Kibum--do not eat.” 

Hmm, decisions, decisions. You stare down the food in the fridge, hoping something will jump out at you. Alright, you’ve decided! You’re going to:

Make a sandwich

Putting aside the memory of how good Kibum’s leftover pasta will taste--you remember from just a few nights ago how good it was fresh--you decide that you can make your own meal, and make it just as good!

You’ll make a chicken sandwich! Luckily, the chicken breast is already sliced and seasoned perfectly. You ponder what else to include in your sandwich. Maybe some balsamic vinegar would taste good….and then you could add some honey for sweetness...and then some tomato--hey, people eat tomato with cheese and balsamic vinegar, right? Add some cheese, too, then....You’ll even toast the bread and put some mayonnaise on it…

This is going to be great! You feel awesome about this sandwich. Minho’s going to be so jealous of your great sandwich. If you’re feeling magnanimous, he might get a bite or two. But the first bite goes to you! You open your mouth and:

Take a small nibble

Ugh. This sucks. Like, really bad. The poor chicken, you lament, what have you done to it? It was so good by itself, but somehow, combined, it tastes too acidic with a weirdly sweet aftertaste from both the balsamic and the honey. You manage a few more bites, just to ascertain the certain quality of the sandwich, before resignedly throwing the entire thing in the trash. 

Blegh. You need to get that taste out of your mouth. You open the fridge door again. Hmm. Kibum’s pasta vs. the mackerel….how much trouble do you want to get in today? You assess your options. You only know the mackerel is for dinner tonight because you overhead Kibum mentioning it on the way out the door. You could plead ignorance about the mackerel, but there’s no way you could get out of eating Kibum’s labeled pasta.

Yeah, the mackerel, then. You take it out to wash it, but as soon as you turn on the sink, water sprays out of the nozzle, making you let out a surprised yowl and you’re soaked from head to toe by a wildly-dancing nozzle. 

You stand in shock as Minho appears in the doorway, taking in the scene before busting his gut laughing. That meanie--he’s so unhelpful! You sputter and hiss at him as he takes a picture with his phone, but he does come over and turn the nozzle off. He even, after some coaxing, agrees to help you clean up the mess.

For your part, you sigh, preparing yourself to call Jonghyun and ask him to pick up some takeout tonight. 

End


	16. Taemin--Naughty

It’s a lazy Saturday afternoon, the sun just barely peeking over the clouds from an overcast morning spent lazing around in the living room. You’re warm and cozy where you are, but the sun insistently seems to follow you as you toss and turn. A little bit annoyed, you end up snapping your eyes awake and twitching your ears as you stretch one way first, and then the other. 

Now that you’re awake, you feel too hot under the blankets and you kick them off. Glancing around you, the living room is empty--your owners Kibum and Jonghyun are off going grocery shopping for the week, leaving you and your best friend and fellow kitty boy home alone for the time being. 

Kitty boys are notoriously mischievous unsupervised. Still, 

You, Taemin, tend to be even naughtier than the rest

You’re a rather slender kitty boy, with ash-grey ears and a curious, lilting tail. You have broad shoulders but delicate limbs, and, although you’re a bit skittish around strangers, can usually be found padding around the house with a sly look on your face. You rather like breaking the rules just for the sake of enjoying the chaotic returns, but it also helps you get over a somewhat awkward demeanor.

Back when you were still sharing an apartment with your best friend and fellow kitty boy, Minho, you tended to avoid strangers or intimidate them with your sleek aura. Luckily, Jonghyun saw past all of that quickly--when he looks at you in awe, it’s a beautiful and genuine warmth in his eyes, rather than the cold distance of strangers on the street. You love his attention, but lately he’s been so busy writing that you haven’t been able to really revel in it for a few days. He’s promised some alone time tonight, maybe with the guitar, casually strumming as the two of you lean on the bed late at night. 

But it puts you in a somewhat mischievous mood, not having a lot of attention lately. Debating what to do about this, you decide to:

Go get something to eat

Your stomach rumbles, demanding you go to the kitchen to fix yourself a meal. In your little household unit, Kibum does most of the cooking, assisted every so often by Jonghyun’s competent but simple meals. But you and Minho aren’t completely helpless--Minho used to work at a cafe, and you….well, you don’t have a lot of practical training, but you’ve always managed!

With that in mind, you pad into the kitchen to observe your mise en scene. In the fridge you have: some leftover chicken, some tomatoes, all the normal condiments, a mackerel Kibum is saving for tonight’s dinner….Hmm. Kibum also has his pasta that he’s marked as “Kibum--do not eat.” 

Hmm, decisions, decisions. You stare down the food in the fridge, hoping something will jump out at you. Alright, you’ve decided! You’re going to:

Eat Kibum’s Pasta

Look, Kibum’s pasta was really tasty the other night. Garlicky, perfectly-seasoned, with clams and mollusks floating in an olive oil sauce….your mouth is watering now, and your stomach affirms that you’ve made the right decision. 

Opening the tupperware, you put the leftovers on a plate….Hmm, to microwave or not to microwave….you don’t want to wake up the tall tattletale Minho, but the oil has kind of coagulated and you think that would be gross. You’ll just have to risk it. Maybe you can tempt him into eating some too and share the blame that way.

As the timer beeps, you can smell the enticing white wine in the sauce. This is going to be great! Kibum really is a genius, you happily think to yourself. You swirl some pasta in a fork and put it up to your mouth as you suddenly feel:

A pang of hunger

You’re so hungry! You need to eat this pasta right now. As you start slurping noodles, you feel yourself floating away into a happy haze of clams and noodles and olive oil and garlic...This is so great, you tell yourself, clearly worth any punishment that’s coming later.

As if on cue, you hear a loud “hey!” cut through your ecstasy. It’s that dratted Minho, staring at you from across the kitchen. He has sleep creases on his cheek, heh. 

“That’s Kibum’s pasta!” Minho points an accusatory finger at you. 

“I was really hungry, Minho!” you protest. Minho gets grouchy when he’s hungry, so maybe he’ll understand. You offer your fork up to him, gesturing that he can have some too.

“No way!” Minho exclaims. “Kibummie told me he was looking forward to eating the pasta. I’m not touching it.”

Rrgh. Sounds like your punishment is going to be a bit more severe than you thought. Vengefully, you turn back toward the pasta and begin shoveling it in your mouth. Better eat all of it, at least.

End


	17. Taemin--Good Boy

It’s a lazy Saturday afternoon, the sun just barely peeking over the clouds from an overcast morning spent lazing around in the living room. You’re warm and cozy where you are, but the sun insistently seems to follow you as you toss and turn. A little bit annoyed, you end up snapping your eyes awake and twitching your ears as you stretch one way first, and then the other. 

Now that you’re awake, you feel too hot under the blankets and you kick them off. Glancing around you, the living room is empty--your owners Kibum and Jonghyun are off going grocery shopping for the week, leaving you and your best friend and fellow kitty boy home alone for the time being. 

Kitty boys are notoriously mischievous unsupervised. Still, 

You, Taemin, tend to be even naughtier than the rest

You’re a rather slender kitty boy, with ash-grey ears and a curious, lilting tail. You have broad shoulders but delicate limbs, and, although you’re a bit skittish around strangers, can usually be found padding around the house with a sly look on your face. You rather like breaking the rules just for the sake of enjoying the chaotic returns, but it also helps you get over a somewhat awkward demeanor.

Back when you were still sharing an apartment with your best friend and fellow kitty boy, Minho, you tended to avoid strangers or intimidate them with your sleek aura. Luckily, Jonghyun saw past all of that quickly--when he looks at you in awe, it’s a beautiful and genuine warmth in his eyes, rather than the cold distance of strangers on the street. You love his attention, but lately he’s been so busy writing that you haven’t been able to really revel in it for a few days. He’s promised some alone time tonight, maybe with the guitar, casually strumming as the two of you lean on the bed late at night. 

But it puts you in a somewhat mischievous mood, not having a lot of attention lately. Debating what to do about this, you decide to:

Go get something to eat

Your stomach rumbles, demanding you go to the kitchen to fix yourself a meal. In your little household unit, Kibum does most of the cooking, assisted every so often by Jonghyun’s competent but simple meals. But you and Minho aren’t completely helpless--Minho used to work at a cafe, and you….well, you don’t have a lot of practical training, but you’ve always managed!

With that in mind, you pad into the kitchen to observe your mise en scene. In the fridge you have: some leftover chicken, some tomatoes, all the normal condiments, a mackerel Kibum is saving for tonight’s dinner….Hmm. Kibum also has his pasta that he’s marked as “Kibum--do not eat.” 

Hmm, decisions, decisions. You stare down the food in the fridge, hoping something will jump out at you. Alright, you’ve decided! You’re going to:

Eat Kibum’s Pasta

Look, Kibum’s pasta was really tasty the other night. Garlicky, perfectly-seasoned, with clams and mollusks floating in an olive oil sauce….your mouth is watering now, and your stomach affirms that you’ve made the right decision. 

Opening the tupperware, you put the leftovers on a plate….Hmm, to microwave or not to microwave….you don’t want to wake up the tall tattletale Minho, but the oil has kind of coagulated and you think that would be gross. You’ll just have to risk it. Maybe you can tempt him into eating some too and share the blame that way.

As the timer beeps, you can smell the enticing white wine in the sauce. This is going to be great! Kibum really is a genius, you happily think to yourself. You swirl some pasta in a fork and put it up to your mouth as you suddenly feel:

A pang of remorse

Well, this isn’t your pasta to eat, exactly...You did enjoy it when Kibum made it a few nights ago. Maybe he’s really looking forward to eating it later. You can understand that--when you save the last bits of a tasty fish, and have the security of knowing they’re in the fridge for when you want to eat them, it’s a good feeling.

Sighing, you decide to eat the sliced chicken that you saw earlier. Or maybe you can just have some cereal or something. Kibum and Jonghyun will probably be back soon, anyway, and you can beg food off of them and--

Turning from putting the pasta back in the fridge, you start and let out a loud “Mrrowww” when you see Jonghyun leaning on the counter, a small smile on his face. You bristle a little with surprise, then quickly ask how long he’s been there. He and Kibum must have snuck in when you were having your moral dilemma. In fact, now that you’re listening, you can hear Kibum chatting away with Minho in the living room.

“Long enough,” Jonghyun smiles. 

What does that mean? Did he see you about to eat Kibum’s pasta?

Jonghyun cuts off your wonderings with an indulgent grin and says “you were a good kitty, Taemin. I’ll reward you later.”

A reward! Spontaneous rewards are somewhat rare for you (not like that showoff Minho), so this is a rare treat indeed! You knew it would pay to be good!

End

**Author's Note:**

> Phew, it's finally done! Who doesn't love kitty boys, right? I'd love to hear which route you ended up taking first! Please comment and let me know~~It'll make all the hard work (and 7.7k words) pay off~~


End file.
